According to data from the Central Bank, Sri Lanka saw an increase in tourist arrivals and revenue in 2024. Tourist arrivals reached 2.05 million, the highest in six years, and revenue rose 53.2% to $3.1 billion, up from $2.07 billion the previous year. The 2024 revenue was the highest since 2018 when tourist arrivals and earnings peaked.
The industry experienced a decline in arrivals after the Easter Sunday attacks in April 2019, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and an economic crisis.
Sri Lanka fell short of its 2024 target of 2.3 million tourists, and industry stakeholders attributed this to a change in the visa process in April 2024 and security concerns following a potential attack in October. December earnings increased by 34.5% to $269.1 million.
According to provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the average tourist expenditure per day in 2024 was $181.15, up from $164.4 in 2023. The average stay was 8.42 nights, slightly lower than 8.44 nights in 2023.
In 2024, tourists spent 17.29 million nights in Sri Lanka, compared to 12.55 million in 2023. The average stay was 8.04 nights in December 2024, while July recorded the highest average of 9.65 nights.
Sri Lanka Tourism aims to attract three million visitors and generate $5 billion in revenue in 2025. The long-term target is five million annual arrivals and $8.5 to $10 billion in earnings by 2030 – an overambitious target. Even before the decline began in 2019, Sri Lanka struggled to build a sustainable and viable tourism brand.